El Sobrante man says giant swastika in his yard isn't the Nazi kind

Installation of hate symbol upsets neighbors

The swastika in the front yard of the Steve Johnson home in El Sobrante as seen from the air. People living in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb are upset that Johnson landscaped his front yard to resemble symbol associated with the Nazi regime. (June 5, 2019.)

The swastika in the front yard of the Steve Johnson home in El Sobrante as seen from the air. People living in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb are upset that Johnson landscaped his front yard to resemble

The swastika in the front yard of the Steve Johnson home in El Sobrante as seen from the air. People living in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb are upset that Johnson landscaped his front yard to resemble symbol associated with the Nazi regime. (June 5, 2019.)

The swastika in the front yard of the Steve Johnson home in El Sobrante as seen from the air. People living in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb are upset that Johnson landscaped his front yard to resemble

"It's a Tibetan sign that's way back before swastikas were invented," he told ABC7 reporters, who then asked him, "Are you Tibetan?"

Johnson reportedly answered, "I could be."

About that Tibetan swastika, a symbol of spirituality known as a sauwastika in Buddhist traditions — it faces the left rather than right-facing Hindu swastika, which was appropriated by the Nazis. Johnson's swastika faces right.

Maybe he just got his swastikas crossed up.

Regardless of his intentions, most of Johnson's neighbors reportedly find the symbol, which replaced a dirt yard, offensive and provocative.

Not to mention a disaster for real estate values.

"It's stupid. It kills the retail value of the house, kills the value of everyone on the street," neighbor Vince Poehnelt told ABC7 on Tuesday.